After fifteen years on SE Stark Street, Montavilla Community Acupuncture will relocate to a new office. Owner Mia Neuse recently completed renovations to an accessory building at 212 SE 79th Avenue and will move her practice to that space starting November 1st. Until that date, clients can continue to visit the location at 7925 SE Stark Street.

Neuse opened the Stark Street location with John Blank, bringing their individual practices together and creating an affordable treatment system for those without insurance coverage. Both practitioners treated insured people privately and helped the uninsured or underinsured in the community room, taking walk-ins when space was available. Blank retired from the business eight years ago. In 2015, Julie Koroch joined Montavilla Community Acupuncture. She continues to work from this location. However, Koroch will relocate her practice to another office after the move.

Montavilla Community Acupuncture’s transition will require some changes to the business. The new building is nearly one-third the size of the current storefront and located in a residential area. As a single practitioner in a home-based setting, Mia Neuse expects to see fewer people. Currently, fifteen to twenty people walk through the door each day, but that should slim down to around eight. Clients can schedule treatments Tuesday through Friday. Drop-in care was suspended during the pandemic and will not return.

Moving after so many years is difficult for this longtime staple of downtown Montavilla. “I love my current office, and there are many things about it that I’m going to really miss,” remarked Neuse. “But I thought it would be nice being nestled in a pretty backyard and have less traffic noise going by.” Montavilla Community Acupuncture will continue to offer the same services with the same commitment to making acupuncture accessible, regardless of insurance coverage.

After completing the interior, work will begin on the grounds around the new location. Clients will walk through an open driveway gate down the newly constructed path that will take them to the blue single-story building in the back. Neuse will apply a Japanese garden design surrounding the walkway, using native Pacific Northwest plants. The goal is to make the space calming and inviting.

Neuse was committed to remaining in the neighborhood when deciding to change locations. “I’ve been living in this community for over 20 years and working in this community going on 15… I really appreciate Montavilla. It’s my home.” Look for the move to begin at the end of this month and expect to see a new business taking over the vacant storefront on Stark Street in the coming months.

---

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.